(Newser)
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Iran's Revolutionary Guard, which the Bush administration is about to declare a terrorist organization, have been shelling mountain villages in the Kurdish region of northern Iraq for several days. The fighting near the border involves thousands of Guards and guerrillas of the Kurdistan Free Life Party, which is stepping up its campaign for Kurdish rights against Tehran, the Guardian reports.

The situation has serious implications. The Kurdish region is the only real success story emerging from the war in Iraq, and the fighting comes as Iranian relations with the US are deteriorating. "If this escalates it could pose a real threat to the Kurdistan region, which is Iraq's most stable area." said a senior Kurdish official.